Sharpie

wasn't really in Halloween mood but managed to get something together, had a group of friends invite me to a get together .

so happy to see something positive regarding the band. I've had my band for almost 3 years. not easy at all, some days I wondered what I was thinking but overall I have adapted to a new way of eating, how I think about food and I enjoy much better health as a result.. No more diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure it's a wonderful thing not to have that burden of bad health. I recently lost my husband as some of you might know, we were married 39 years and the last few years have been very hard physically for him. Thank God I was healthy enough to take care of him . He had major heart surgery last year and prior to that he had a partial knee replacement and esophageal cancer so taking care of him was my full time job. It takes a lot of energy and determination to care for a loved one and with the help of my band I was able to do it . I promised him I would continue to stay healthy as long as possible . He was my biggest fan and was very proud of my successful weight loss. I hope I can continue to make him proud.

Pure Protein, Walmart has them. I like muscle milk too. otherwise I make my own with Protein powder EAS brand and some almond milk with fruit and ice.

Thank You girls.. I am determined to get myself together and quit eating to ease my pain. My husband was my biggest fan he was 110% supportive of my decision to have weight loss surgery. He was so very proud of my accomplishment and when I was heavy was not the least bit ashamed of me . He was more concerned with my health than any of the issues with my looks. However when I got to my goal and could dress up he was the first person to tell me I looked wonderful and complimented me every day. I have to learn to live without him so I am promising him that I will never go back to the unhealthy woman I was. I am getting stronger each day, did lots of yard work for the past 2 days and have slept well each night because I am so darn tired. It's a good tired..

you look beautiful.

B, he was 82 had survived esophageal cancer 4 years ago, had open heart surgery last year replaced his aortic valve, did well through that . had some problems with blood loss due to xeralto which he was on for previous knee surgery, however he just never bounced back all the way, he had pneumonia one time before due to rehab not getting him up enough I feel. but this pneumonia we think we from the bacterial infection which I believe was introduced by the use of his port for Iron infusions. it's been a long few years with many ups and downs. I am grateful he was able to go to Alaska with me and even though he didn't feel his best he made the best of it. I know he is at peace now and does not have to experience anymore pain. Ultimately I am blessed to have my daughter and her children and some very special friends. He was so proud of me for my weight loss success and bragged to everyone how his wife was hot.. lol. the main concern for him was my health and he worried about that .

Haven't been here for awhile. I lost my husband last Friday . He had been ill for about a month off and on, took him to ER they said he had pneumonia and after a few days seemed to be getting better, however on the 3rd day he coded 3 times, heart stopped and they brought him back each time, after being in the ICU for the 3rd code, they decided to transfer him to a larger hospital (where he had his heart surgery last year). stayed in their cardio unit for a week seemed to be getting better, however they discovered he had a bacterial infection in his aortic valve which he had replaced last year with a bovine valve. he was put on high powered IV antibiotics and transferred to an acute care center , after another 2 weeks his kidney's failed, they advised me that he could not survive anything further they had run out of options other than dialysis which would only be temporary and they doubted with his heart infection that he would survive. I made the choice to let him go in peace and stop further treatment. We transferred him to hospice care where he lived for 3 days. It was amazing the way the nurses and staff treated him with dignity and respect and love. He died peacefully and has joined his son and daughter who preceded him in death several years ago. My heart is broken and I don't quite know what I will do without him but I am blessed with strong family support from my daughter, son in law and grandchildren. My eating as you can imagine has been all over the place. From not eating at all to eating every kind of junk and comfort food I can find, I just don't care right now. He made me promise to take care of myself and I hope I can get back to my plan soon. I am still in shock that he is gone and I cannot sleep. I am sorry this is so long but I hope you all understand and will support me . I need encouragement to make it through this time . I am going to make an appointment with my band doc soon so I can maybe get a fill to help me get back on track. I hope you all will continue to do well on your path to wellness.

No Regrets. Had lapband surgery January 2013. no longer take diabetic meds, no more high cholesterol or high blood pressure. It's the best thing I have ever done for my health .

looks like a botched surgery. my port scar is so tiny and I have never had any problems with my band. I see some scary posts about band surgeries gone wrong. I am so happy I went to the best surgeon in our area to have mine. I hope you get healed up and are successful with weight watchers.

wonderful idea, positive post for lapbands... I am sure most everyone knows how I feel about negative band bashing posts so it's indeed a good thing to dedicate this to lapband success. I have been banded almost 3 years. haven't had to be on any medication since surgery . I am healthier and happier than I have been in many years. As I get closer to 70 years of age I realize how lucky I am to have found the solution to my obesity and bad health. Without your health you have nothing. I have not had any complications. the surgery itself was a piece of cake for me. I do have to remind myself sometimes that I need to eat slower, old habits die hard . But I would recommend the band to every person who ask me.

the preop diet is so important to avoid them cancelling your surgery if your liver is too big. I was scared not to do it by the book. I had some so far in the process, tests, psych evaluation etc. I wasn't going to fail at that stage. I know it was hard and even after your surgery you have to dig deep for determination... is your health worth it? absolutely. I never heard of anyone drinking wine or beer on the preop diet you might want to run that by your dr. what work for some might not be for you. Keep thinking about how wonderful you will feel after your surgery and healing time.. You will be motivated to keep it up .

so Grateful to be heading for 70 (i'm almost 69) and being healthy. Grateful that I found the courage to have my lapband surgery Grateful for my wonderful supportive family So Grateful that I no longer have diabetes or high blood pressure or high cholesterol Grateful that I was able to go to Alaska and ride horses (my bucket list) Now I am grateful that I am physically able to care for my husband who has had some serious health issues lately. And I am so grateful for my banded friends who posts their successes and difficulties. It's been a good thing for me to be able to discuss the ins and outs of the lapband. I still have no regrets and am extremely happy with my results.

never had dumping with my lapband, never heard of anyone else having it either . It is not one of the common side affects of the lapband. We can get stuck, slime and have discomfort from eating too fast but I've not heard of anyone dumping. Constipation is also a common side effect with the Band. I am not sure about sleeves or bypass .

Way to go B52- You are my hero... I am constantly amazed at the difference in my life since surgery. You have always inspired me. I'm not as dedicated to the gym as you but I do move more and eat less. Keep up the good work.

so sorry your experience has not been good.. you still lost a good amount of weight . I would ask my surgeon to do a barium swallow to make sure your band is in place. you should not have these problems if it is. My only regret is not doing my surgery when I was younger. but life has to be lived in the future and not in the past. I am happy and healthy and that was my goal. Lapband saved my life and health.

awe Pink I am honored that you think I am a role model. The riding in Alaska was on my bucket list and I knew I had to be healthy and in shape to accomplish that. They had a height and weight limit to ride. I was just tall enough and my weight was not an issue.. thank the Lord. I didn't get to see much of Seattle but would like to go back one day. Alaska is amazing and it sure helps to be able to walk.. There is a lot of walking on the ship and on the land.

I cannot express how happy I am today. We went on a 7 day cruise to Alaska and I did not even gain one lb. First time in my life that I did not pack on at least 10 lbs while on vacation. A Cruise ship as you know has tons of food everywhere, but my band kept me in check. I ate a good bit of fish and some veggies. Did not do the Pasta or pizza . I did eat some frozen yogurt and one night I had lobster ravioli which was really light and delicious but couldn't eat the whole portion. I even drank some wine with dinner. One of the best things was riding horses in Skagway and watching whales in Juneau. I walked all over the ship everyday I explored . My niece and her husband joined us on the trip from Vegas, they are both younger than I am but both are out of shape. They said I was like the eveready bunny and they couldn't keep up. I cannot tell you how different I am today than 3 years ago. I am living the life I want and feel like a million bucks. I am so thankful for my lapband . horseback riding in Skagway was great.

thanks guys, I am thankful everyone enjoyed my positive post. I talked to my niece today she said I have motivated her and her husband to get In better shape.. They could not believe how good I looked and how active I was. So, if even one person gets benefit from my story I am thrilled. Looking at another adventure for next year, thinking Canada to a dude ranch.

staples? I only had a few tiny incisions no staples.

Had a checkup with my Primary Physician on Monday. He was extremely pleased with my lab report. A1C 5.1, cholesterol 184, blood pressure 120/76. He asked me if I felt my weight loss surgery was worth it.. I told him absolutely. He agreed. He said at my age and the weight I was prior to my surgery he worried that I might have a stroke or have some really bad issues with diabetes. So, in this post I want to tell everyone that no matter what you do to improve your health, it is so important to take control. I personally chose lapband because I didn't want to undergo a major surgical procedure at this stage of my life. I will be grateful to my surgeon forever. He has been so supportive and he is conservative with fills. I am so grateful that I now have mobility and energy to enjoy life . I am going to Alaska in a few weeks and will enjoy the cruise and all of the activites . I believe I will be able to eat healthy and stay on track but I'm not really worried about it.

I never stopped drinking coffee.. told my Dr. before my surgery if I had to give up coffee it was a deal breaker. I don't do starbucks , expensive and really to me it's not that good. most of their concoctions are very high in calories.. I have gotten a skinny latte before when I was at the airport, they seem to have a monopoly there. It was okay nothing to jump up and down about. But, lots of people obviously like it.

Keep telling it B52, you are the poster boy for Lapband Surgery. At age 68 I am so excited about life now that I can enjoy doing things. We are leaving tomorrow for our Alaskan Cruise, I am going to ride horses I Skagway while my husband takes a train ride (he loves trains). 3 years ago I wouldn't have even considered doing the cruise . as a side note, I had to unload horse feed the other day, husband has been under the weather. I picked up a 50# bag and it was pretty heavy but I thought to myself wow I used to carry that much and more on my body every day. Thank God for lapband and my surgeon I no longer carry that burden. Glad to see these positive stories.

Praying you have a better week ahead, Glad your phone survived it's baptism.

chili is my go to in Winter and Summer. it's easy and full of protein. Ground Beef (low fat) or ground turkey (I personally do not like it) onion- about 1/4 or 1/2 if you like onion chili mix or make up your own- chili powder, cumin , pepper, salt, cayenne canned tomatoes 1 can of tomatoe sauce beans , any kind pinto, kidney or black beans

Lapband best decision ever